Steven M. Knaub
Chief Executive Officer

Steve Knaub is a highly experienced healthcare professional with over 25 years of industry experience. Currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer of Choices Healthcare, Steve’s career with Hospice & Community Care began in 1998 when he joined as Vice President, Chief Financial Officer. In 2002, he was promoted to Chief Operating Officer, and in 2011, he was named President & Chief Executive Officer of Hospice & Community Care. Throughout his career, Steve has spearheaded several significant and impactful projects, including the expansion of the Essa Flory Center in Lancaster, the construction of a new Inpatient Center and Pathways Center for Grief & Loss, the affiliation with WellSpan Health Systems, the opening of an office in York County in 2012, and most recently, the affiliation with Hospice of Central PA. These projects have resulted in the expansion of hospice services and the establishment of Choices Healthcare. Steve holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Shippensburg University. Before joining Hospice & Community Care, he worked for nine years for Kuntz Lesher Siegrist & Martini, LLP, a regional public accounting firm. Steve lives in York with his wife Cindy and enjoys spending time in northern Clinton County. He is an avid Baltimore Ravens and Orioles fan.

 

Gil Brown
President
Gil Brown grew up in Union Dale, Pennsylvania located in the northeast corner of the state. A small town with a population of just below 300, it is best known as the home of Elk Mountain ski resort. Gil has over 30 years’ experience in healthcare operations/management. His career path has taken him to Connecticut, New York City, Florida and back to Pennsylvania. Prior to joining Hospice of Central PA, he served, for eight years, as the Chief Operating Officer at Hospice by the Sea, Inc., a Florida-based not-for-profit provider of hospice, home healthcare and palliative care services. Gil’s extensive career in healthcare includes corporate and regional positions with Aetna Health Plans, Director of Managed Care for the Queens Health Network of the New York City Health and Hospital Corporation and Director of Managed Care for Continuum Health Partners in New York City. Gil has a M.S. in organizational behavior from the University of Hartford’s Barney School of Business and a B.A. in psychology from Bloomsburg University. Gil’s additional certifications include CHPCA (Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Administrator) and SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources). Gil lives in Susquehanna Township with his husband Pedro Lozada and their two dogs, Dan and Dora.

 

Michael Link
Chief Operating Officer
Michael Link was named Chief Operating Officer in 2023 and has been with Hospice & Community Care since 2001. Michael’s responsibilities include operational oversight of Clinical, Medical Services, Pathways Center for Grief & Loss, Information Technology, Education, Health Information Management, Data Analytics, and the Liaison Departments. Early in his career, Michael was an integral part of the original team that helped transition all Hospice & Community Care clinicians onto an electronic medical record. It was within that project that Michael discovered his passion for elevating staff to reach their fullest potential by helping them navigate change. Michael has spoken at several national conferences to help others embrace change management through the lens of our most important resource, our fellow human. Michael earned his undergraduate degrees from Pennsylvania College of Technology. He lives in Lititz with his wife, Becky and son, Isaac. Michael is an avid baseball fan (go Phils!) and board game fan!

 

Krista Kae Hazen
Sr. Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
Krista Kae Hazen is the Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer of Choices Healthcare. She directs and manages the organization’s financial operations. Krista Kae joined the organization in 1998 as Office Manager and has also held roles as the Information Systems Manager and Director of Finance and Information Systems. Prior to joining Hospice, she worked in public accounting and computer systems consulting. Krista Kae is a member of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She received her bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania and is a certified public accountant. Krista Kae lives in Elizabethtown with her husband Matt. They enjoy traveling, particularly hiking in National Parks.

 

Brent L. Keener
Vice President, Human Resources
Brent Keener is the Vice President, Human Resources for Choices Healthcare. He is responsible for the development, management and maintenance of all personnel policies, recruitment, retention, benefits, compensation, management training and employee safety of the organization. He also oversees the Volunteer Services department which is responsible for recruitment, training and management of all the dedicated volunteers who are a part of the organization, and the Facilities Department. Brent joined Hospice & Community Care in 2007 as the Director of Human Resources and was promoted into the role of Vice President in 2011. Prior to joining Hospice, he served in senior-level HR roles in Property Management and Manufacturing organizations. He graduated from Messiah College with a bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management and has been involved in the Human Resources field since 1994. Brent is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and holds a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) certification as well as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) Certification from the Human Resources Certification Institute. He previously served on the board of directors for the Lancaster SHRM and currently serves on the board of Landis Home and Community Based Services (Landis HCBS) affiliate of Landis Communities. Brent lives in northern Lancaster County with his wife, Bonita, and has four married children and five fantastic grandchildren!

 

Bonnie Jess Lopane
Vice President, Chief Development Officer
Bonnie Jess Lopane is the Vice President, Chief Development Officer of Choices Healthcare, and has been with Hospice & Community Care (previously Hospice of Lancaster County) since 1996. Bonnie manages the organization’s Philanthropy and Marketing Communications programs. She served as Director of Marketing of the Schreiber Pediatric Rehab Center for 12 years prior to joining the organization. Bonnie is a graduate of Penn State University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration/Health Care Administration. She holds a Certified Fund Raising Executive designation for the highest standards of professional competence and ethical practice in serving the philanthropic sector and has been actively involved as a member of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy for 25 years. Bonnie has served on numerous local nonprofit community boards and committees. Beyond her passion for hospice and end-of-life care, Bonnie is a writer with a passion for shaping stories and ideas and is currently immersed in writing her first book.

 

Paige Payne
Vice President, Patient Care
Paige joined Hospice & Community Care in 2012 as the Director of York hospice operations. She facilitated the opening of the York office and expansion into that area.  In her current role, she oversees both the Inpatient Center and Home Hospice as well as organizational Quality and Compliance. Paige is a social worker and received a Master’s in Social Work from Widener University, a Master’s in Human Services Management from Drexel University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in family studies from Penn State.  She also completed a post-graduate fellowship in End-of-Life Care from Smith College.  Paige also maintains her certification in hospice and palliative social work and participated in developing the certification exam. She has over 39 years of health care experience, largely in hospice where she served in a variety of leadership, quality, and clinical roles.  Paige serves as Secretary on the board of the Pennsylvania Hospice and Palliative Care network and is active in their regulatory and educational initiatives.  Paige and her husband Bill enjoy traveling, and spending time outdoors hiking and kayaking.

 

Susan Resavy
Vice President, Family Services
Susan Resavy is the Vice President of Family Services. In this role Susan’s primary responsibility is the management and clinical supervision of the social work, spiritual care, volunteer, and bereavement departments. Susan is originally from Scranton, PA. She obtained her BSW from Penn State University and her MSW from Marywood College. Susan is a licensed social worker in PA and has an advanced certification in hospice and palliative care. Prior to joining Hospice of Central PA in 1989, Susan’s professional experience included working as a psychiatric social worker with adolescents and adults in a variety of settings; medical social worker in an ER/hospital setting and as a social worker in a nursing home setting. Susan resides in Harrisburg with her husband, Charlie. They have two adult children, Abigail, and Daniel. She is a diehard Penn State and Denver Broncos football fan!

 

Dr. Debra Vermette
Vice President, Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Debra Vermette began her career in Family Medicine and in 2004, turned to the practice of Hospice and Palliative Care. After serving as the Medical Director for a hospice in Fort Worth, Texas, she relocated to Delaware in 2011 to devote her energies to the advancement of end-of-life care for patients. In 2015 she moved to the Philadelphia area, where she oversaw the clinical leadership of both the Hospice and Palliative Care Programs and advanced to Senior Medical Director before joining Hospice & Community Care in March of 2023. While in Philadelphia, Dr. Vermette has also served as clinical faculty at two Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Programs, providing hospice education and experience during their training. Dr. Vermette is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Medicine and the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. She attended Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, earning a B.S. in Psychology, and graduated from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Texas. She completed residency training at the University of Texas Family Medicine Program in Houston and is Board Certified in Family Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Debbie and her husband enjoy traveling and cooking together and most recently started ballroom dancing.